New Round of Industry Sector Partnership Grant Funding Now Available
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The Ohio Department of Development and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation today announced the opening of the latest round of grant funding designed to strengthen partnerships that help prepare Ohioans for the workforce while meeting the needs of job creators and local economies.
There is $5 million available through the Industry Sector Partnership (ISP) Grant Program to support new and existing local collaborations between businesses, educational and training institutions, and community stakeholders. Partnerships may be located in any region of the state and must focus on an in-demand sector, as defined by regional workforce needs.
“Through these partnerships, not only are we addressing the workforce challenges at the local level, but we’re creating more opportunities for Ohioans in these vital fields in every region of the state,” said Governor Mike DeWine.
"At its best, collaboration turns individual strengths into collective success," said Lt. Governor Jim Tressel. "Industry sector partnerships bring together leaders in a region or an in-demand industry to collaborate on a shared purpose to create real opportunities for Ohioans and ensure our workforce is prepared to meet the needs of today and tomorrow."
To be eligible for funding, an industry sector partnership must include five or more private-sector employers of varying sizes and have at least five of the following:
- A city, local, or exempted village school district, community school, STEM school, or joint vocational school district
- A state institution of higher education
- An Ohio Technical Center
- An Independent college or university
- An Educational Service Center
- An OhioMeansJobs Center
- A nonprofit organization specializing in workforce training
- An economic development organization
Partnerships must also have a regional and/or industry-specific focus on a single industry sector or a set of industry sectors with shared workforce challenges concentrated within a single region or labor market area.
“We’re building a dynamic, sustainable workforce to address the challenges unique to each industry and region of the state,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “This investment through the Industry Sector Partnership program not only benefits job creators but it helps ensure that more Ohioans have the skills they need to fill the growing needs of local workforces.”
This marks the sixth round of the ISP program, with its application round closing at 3 p.m. Feb. 27.
The state of Ohio has invested a total of $17.6 million in 64 Industry Sector Partnerships since 2019, with the fifth round of the program awarding 35 partners a total of $5.1 million in January 2025.
The ISP program is among the state programs strengthening Ohio’s workforce alongside WorkOhio, a recently launched initiative announced by Lt. Governor Jim Tressel that aims to connect Ohioans with in-demand jobs in their area through personalized support from teams of regional jobs experts. One-on-one support and additional resources for job seekers are now available through the program website, WorkOhio.gov.
To apply and learn more about the Industry Sector Partnership Grant, visit Workforce.Ohio.gov/ISP.
The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio’s people, places, and businesses. Learn more about our work at development.ohio.gov.
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